The present invention relates to a construction element. More particularly this invention concerns a shingle-type panel intended to be applied to an upright wall with a plurality of other such panels in vertically and horizontally overlapping fashion.
A standard shingle typically has a vertical length which is at least three times as long as the vertical length of the region of the shingle left exposed. Such a shingle is nailed at its upper attachment portion that is covered by overlying shingles to the wall or roof it is to cover. Vertically overlapping rows of horizontally staggered shingles therefore can very effectively protect the underlying surface from the element.
It is known to make such shingles of at least limitedly elastically deformable material and to give them in unstressed and unmounted condition a non-planar shape so that when the upper attachment portion is secured to the wall to be covered the lower half is elastically pressed firmly against the upper portions of the underlying shingles or panels. As shown in German Pat. No. 1,924,862 such a shingle may have prismatically shaped overlapping edges that are wind tight to some extent and, hence, prevent moisture from being driven horizontally under the shingles or panels.
In particular when such panels are made of metal, such as decorative anodized aluminum or thin stainless steel, no insulating function in the usual sense is obtained, but instead they serve mainly to protect the underlying structure from moisture, sun and dissipation of thermal energy by the effect of wind. To this end each panel defines an air-filled compartment that communicates with the outside atmosphere through washboard-type formations that assist in the mounting of such panel but prevent moisture from entering the compartments. Such an arrangement requires extreme care during assembly so that the washboard-type or corrugated attachment portions exactly overlap each other.
In another known arrangement as described in German Pat. No. 2,302,094 the attachment region is formed as grooves and bumps forming an annulus in the plane of the panel so that these grooves and bumps can be juxtaposed in overlapping panels. To this end typically one side, that is a vertical edge, of each panel overlies the corresponding side edge of the panel to one horizontal side and underlies the corresponding side edge of the panel to the other horizontal side. It is also known to provide a particular water run-off groove in such arrangements in order to insure that no water enters behind the panels to the wall.